Korian pulled Eli back down the room and out the huge doors in silence. Eli wanted to speak, but didn’t know what he could possibly say. Was Korian angry at him? He couldn’t tell. It could be that the events at court had just tired him, but the little voice in the back of Eli’s mind was convinced it was about him.

The mage said his first words since leaving to the throne room to the servants instead of Eli. He ordered them to bring their dinner to his bedroom. The rest of the council would eat in the dining room without them. Korian spared a glance at him before he pulled him back up to the bedroom he’d arrived in.

The mirror flashed between views of the bedroom and his own empty room back home. They’d done it since he’d gone home and he didn’t have an explanation for it. He just shrugged and bared it, what else could he possibly do?

Korian stopped in the middle of the room with a sigh and dropped his hand. “Are you alright?” Eli asked, hating the worry that laced his voice.

“Fine. Just tired,” Korian said, staring at the mirror against the wall. “I brought it up here so I’d be there when you came back. But I wasn’t sure if you were after so long.”

Eli took a step back, shocked at his words. “Of course, I’d come back. Why wouldn’t I?” he asked. Korian shrugged at him but said nothing. “The only reason I took so long was because I had a lot to sort out at home. My mother declared me missing, I had to explain that to the authorities.”

“Surely it doesn’t take that long,” Korian said angrily, not meeting his eyes.

“It took longer than I thought. My word is far more advanced than yours Korian. If you disappear, you have a lot to answer for when you return,” he explained. He didn’t know how to word it. Arumni didn’t have the police and education systems Earth did. “I have to go back to school so I can do what I want in life. I had to make sure I didn’t wind up in some crazy home when I explained where I was.”

At that, Korian finally turned to look at him. “They’d do that to you?” he asked in a quiet voice.

Eli shrugged and stepped towards him. “I don’t know, maybe. They’d send me to talk to someone if I told them I fell through a mirror into another world. I don’t know what would happen after that.”

“But that’s normal here,” Korian said.

“It’s not normal on Earth,” Eli replied, running a hand through his hair. “We don’t even have magic there, Rian.”

“Rian?” Korian said. His nose wrinkled as he said the word.

Eli stumbled over his words and looked down at the floor. “I don’t know, it just came out. Should I not-” His words were broken off when Korian pulled him close and wrapped his arms around him.

“I like Rian,” he whispered against Eli’s hair. “I’m glad you came back.”

“I promised I would. I’m sorry it took so long,” he said. Sometimes, things at home were more important than things in Arumni. He couldn’t just run away again, not with the police watching him so closely. If they asked, his mother would tell them he was at Kory’s. It was close enough to reality.

For a second, Korian said nothing. He pressed a kiss to the top of Eli’s hair. “I don’t understand what goes on in your world,” he said, voice loud in the silent room. “But I understand that sometimes there are things you can’t control.”

“I came back as soon as I could.” Eli bunched his hands in Korian’s shirt and pressed his face against his chest.

“I know,” Korian replied. “I know.” He pulled away and cupped Eli’s face with a cool palm. Eli smiled at him. He hadn’t realised just how much he missed the other man. Seeing Kory wasn’t the same. They may have the same face, but they were completely different people. He never even saw Kory in the same light he saw Korian.

He leaned up before he could properly think about it and pressed a kiss to Korian’s lips. Korian hummed at him and pulled him closer, his hands pressed hard against Eli’s back. The world drifted away from them for a few long seconds before Eli had to pull away to catch his breath. He smiled, one hand cupping Korian’s face and the other on his waist.

“How long are you here for?” Korian whispered.

“Only a couple of days,” Eli answered. “I promise I’ll come back quicker next time. I was thinking every weekend I’d come see you for a day or two.”

Korian nodded and smiled at him. “I can work with that,” he said. A knock sounded at the door and he pulled away from him to open it. A servant wandered in with a platter of food and sat it on a nearby table. “I hope you are hungry. There is a lot here.”

It was practically a feast. Eli hoped that the others in the realm were eating as well as he and Korian were about to. The smell of it alone made his stomach grumble. He hadn’t realised just how hungry he was. He wandered over, spying meats vegetables covered in steaming gravy.

The pair sat at the table as the servant left and served themselves food. Dinner was a quiet affair; Eli was enjoying the meal too much to bother talking. He looked up at Korian when he finished and blushed at the smile the other man gave him. It may have been a while since they saw each other, the realm may still be a mess, but at least he knew that they were okay.

He had no idea what they were, but it didn’t matter. Relationships would be different across the two realms, but as long as they were happy, it would be okay. “I’ll show you around the city tomorrow,” Korian said to him when they’d finished eating and the plates had been collected. “I think the people would like to see you.”

“I’d like that,” Eli replied. Korian stood and grabbed him by the wrist. He fell into his arms easily and sighed in content. He could stay in Korian’s arms forever, warm and safe and happy. He’d make sure he spent as much time as he could with Korian while he was there and would visit more often.

He missed him so much during the month they were apart. He’d make sure they saw each other more often. Maybe next time, he’d bring Korian to Earth to meet his mum and Kory. For now, he’d relish the feeling of his arms and his lips until he had to leave again.